James then set off at a brisk pace for his next port of call – Rachel’s hotel room. The door was ajar and inside two SOCOs were giving it the once-over under the watchful eye of a PC. The double-bedded room was strewn with black plastic bags containing Rachel’s belongings.

‘There’s no evidence to suggest that she was planning to share the room with someone last night,’ the officer told him. ‘All the clothes are hers, along with the clutter in the bathroom, and there’s only the victim’s one overnight bag.’

James was confused. The manager had confirmed that Carlo Salvi had not booked a room in the hotel so surely the intention had been for him to sleep with his girlfriend, in which case his things should still be in the room, especially as he wasn’t carrying a bag of any kind when he headed out of the hotel in the CCTV footage James had viewed earlier with Abbott.

‘Call me if anything does turn up,’ he said to the officer before going in search of DC Abbott.

He found her in the reception area where she was briefing two forensic officers who had been instructed to check out Mark Slade’s room. As soon as she was finished, he filled her in on what Libby and Claire had said about the best man, and how Libby had broken down. Abbott shook her head, compassion in her eyes. He then told her about the search of Rachel’s room and why he thought it was odd that there was nothing belonging to Carlo Salvi in there.

‘Maybe he hadn’t planned on staying, guv,’ she said. ‘Or, if that had been his intention before they fell out, it could be that all he brought was a toothbrush and razor. That wouldn’t be so unusual.’

‘That’s true. Okay, I’m headed to oversee things in Bowness so I want you to take charge here while I’m gone. Keep an eye on Slade and if the SOCOs find anything incriminating in his room then take the guy into custody and phone me,’ he said. ‘When I get back, we’ll have a catch up with the team and set out plans for the day ahead.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

It was still dark when James drove away from The Fells Hotel with Libby’s parents in the back seat.

They were followed by a patrol car with a police constable at the wheel and a forensic van driven by a SOCO. It had been arranged for a family liaison officer to meet them at the Elliotts’ home in Bowness.

The estimated journey time was only about five minutes and thankfully the roads were empty, unlike during the summer months when traffic congestion was always a major problem.

The town of Bowness-on-Windermere had for some time been the most popular visitor destination in the Lake District. It was filled with cafes, pubs, gift shops and attractions such as The World of Beatrix Potter, which used the latest technology to bring the stories of Peter Rabbit and other lovable characters to life. James and Annie had spent a weekend there not long before Bella was born, staying in a town centre hotel and taking a cruise on one of the lake steamers.